Search - Pelican :: Pelican

I needed this.

J. R. Lacombe | PA | 04/06/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not a real "metal" fan, but some of the bands I listen to are classified as such, like Opeth, Tool and The Melvins. However, I don't feel that one needs to be a metal fan to appreciate the sonic devastation which Pelican provides.



This is the first of Pelican I have bought, though I did listen to the streaming version of "The Fire in our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw" from Pelican's website (which impressed me with its different tones/shades and moods). This 20-something minute EP is extremely refreshing in my ear because it is exemplary of TRUE HEAVINESS.



I honestly do not believe that there exist many "metal" bands (or any variation thereof) that understand the primal simplicity of what drives a song to be felt and considered as heavy. This is not something native to heavy metal or any form of classic hard rock (including The Who and Led Zeppelin). This kind of HEAVINESS defies genre and permeates the boundaries of classification.



Beethoven understood heaviness.



Pelican understands heaviness.



Every time I play "Mammoth" in my car, I can't help but glance towards the mountains in fear of beholding an actual mammoth tramping its way through the meagre establishments of humanity.



What I am about to say is probably pretentious since I know next to nothing about present-day metal, and, for all I know Pelican's sound is easily beaten by several other bands, but here goes nonetheless:



In the storm of HEAVINESS, bands like Slayer and Megadeth form the lightning, the strike. Pelican is the thunder, bellowing patiently.



"

Huge.

Tyler | Ontario, Canada | 04/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, how I wish Pelican would go back to their roots of insane heaviness. This, and Austrailasia, and sludge / post-metal masterpieces. Not to say that their other albums aren't fantastic, as well.



The whole album is essentially a giant build-up to the 12+ minute juggernaut that is The Woods.

Pluse starts the album out with a fairly light sound.

The song is fallowed by Mammoth, which is insanely sludgy, heavy, and slow. Reminds me of a mammoth. Every chug is like a punch in the stomach. Mammoth is a very, very aggressive song.

Forecast for Today, the 7-and-a-half minute insanity fest is absolutely stunning, with catchy riffs that lead into a higher-end, more open conclusion.

The Woods is nearly 13-minutes long and after the first 2.5 minutes it doesn't let up once. The Woods will leave you feeling weak and beaten. The entire thing is incredibly full and powerful.



I've always had a place in my heart for Pelican. This EP is the last album of theirs that I've heard, and I don't regret purchasing it.



If you're a fan of doom metal, stoner metal, post-metal, or instrumental metal, buy this immediately. Otherwise, you at LEAST have to give Pelican a listen. You'd be doing yourself a big favor."

Like a teaspoon of material from a neutron star....

A Pilgrim | San Jose, Ca United States | 11/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...that's the best analogy I can come up with to describe this album. It's very short, perhaps too short for some of you, but I like it that way. Music like that of Pelican tends to wear me out if I listen to a full album of it. But with only four songs, this EP offers a nice little slice of metal that can be consumed in under 30 minutes.



It's very heavy. Especially _Mammoth_ and _The Woods_, but all four songs are exemplary samples of Pelican's style of metal: An equally melodic and atonal approach to song structure, coupled with a heavy chugging guitar section which repeat for an almost hypnotic effect. Whatever melodicism they use never sounds shallow, syrupy, or smarmy. Their use of melodic passages in this album is subtle and effective, similar to an effective use of seasoning in a recipe.



Like their other albums, in this EP, Pelican manage to develop angsty and beautiful melodies that are wrapped in layer upon layer of heavily distorted guitars. Unlike more pop/comsumerist bands, Pelican usually take their sweet time to let their songs evolve and take depth, where melody and distortion intertwine like vines, and often meet at some point for a cathartic collision.



Just yummy.



Like all Pelican albums, this album is strictly instrumental. And though I enjoy death metal growls, sometimes I think vocal passages can get in the way of what would be an otherwise wonderful metal album. Pelican is a band I am glad is instrumental. They are not preoccupied with vocal deliveries, they are free to devote all of their energy into developing complicated, heavy, and beautiful instrumental soundscapes, which carry a ambiance of darkness, power, glory, and existential beauty.



In conclusion. I highly recommend this album. Seasoned Pelican fans will probably appreciate this early and very heavy grounded work as an interesting counterpoint to their more recent ethereal leanings. This album might be a great introduction to first time listeners as well. It's shorter, cheaper, and if you don't like this album, there is a good chance you will not like their other albums.



"